Kolkata: Violence erupted at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) on Sunday after a clash broke out between students and members of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), a right-wing consumer group hosting an event on campus. Several individuals from both sides sustained injuries in the melee.

Cross-allegations of assault have been leveled by both factions. Students alleged they were attacked with weapons after protesting the event, while the ABGP claimed their peaceful national convention was disrupted and its members were assaulted by students.

The incident sparked intense protests inside the premier film school, with students locking the main gate and staging a sit-in to demand immediate police action against the alleged attackers.

Tensions Escalate Over Campus Venue Usage

According to ABGP state leaders, the organisation had hired the institute's auditorium after paying ₹15,000 and securing formal permission from SRFTI authorities. The programme began around 10:00 AM.

Trouble brewing early in the day escalated when a group of students objected to the presence of external non-campus attendees and questioned the administration's decision to allow a private organisation to host an event on campus. Students began putting up protest posters near the auditorium, triggering a heated verbal exchange with the organisers.

The SRFTI Students' Association released a statement alleging that speakers at the event delivered "highly provocative speeches" and used derogatory terms such as "anti-national", "urban Naxals", and "terrorists" against the student body. The statement further alleged that female students were manhandled during the confrontation.

Students claimed that some ABGP members subsequently attacked them with knives, leaving four students seriously injured alongside several others who sustained minor cuts and bruises.

"We were having our practical classes in the auditorium. When we saw people from outside holding a programme there, some of us protested and put up posters on the wall. The members of the organisation then came towards us and started beating us up. We somehow managed to escape towards the hostel," a student told a local news channel.

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An institute faculty member also alleged that he and several colleagues were assaulted when attempting to intervene and diffuse the situation.

Following the initial clash, the students' body claimed that around 150 students were trapped inside the campus while being "surrounded by goons", alleging a lack of adequate security or medical assistance during the peak of the conflict.

ABGP Denies Allegations, Cites Vandalism and Attack

Rebuffing the students' charges, the ABGP claimed its members were attacked without provocation when students disrupted the event and tore down posters and banners featuring sacred and national figures.

"We had paid Rs 15,000 to hire the auditorium and had obtained permission from the authorities. Our organisation works mainly for consumer protection and awareness. But an attempt was made to disrupt our programme, and posters were torn," an ABGP member told reporters.

ABGP State President Pankaj Roy described the function as an event celebrating consumer rights with a "nationalist vision", alleging that students took offense at a picture of Bharat Mata displayed at the venue and harassed attendees, including women.

Another member of the organisation referred to the protesting students as the "tukde tukde gang" on campus.

The group claimed that a framed picture of Swami Vivekananda was damaged during the scuffle and accused students and campus security of blocking their members and their hired bus from leaving the premises, turning the institute into a hostile environment. ABGP representatives stated that four of their members were hospitalized with injuries.

Police Deployment and Campus Standoff

A massive police contingent was deployed outside SRFTI as the standoff continued into the evening.

An SRFTI official stated that the administration was closely monitoring the situation in coordination with local authorities, adding that "there was no report of any serious injury to anyone, including students, and that the situation was under control."

Police later facilitated the exit of the organisers' bus and an ambulance from the premises. However, students alleged that bricks and stones were pelted at them from outside the main gate as the bus departed, forcing them to seek shelter under a tin roof.

Protesting students also accused police officers of noting down complainants' details rather than registering immediate First Information Reports (FIRs) against the alleged assailants, prompting a demonstration around a police vehicle inside the gate.

Named after iconic filmmaker Satyajit Ray, SRFTI was established in 1995 by the Government of India and stands as the country’s second national center for cinema education.

The violent episode at SRFTI comes just weeks after a similar high-profile clash occurred on August 20 between members of the ABVP and Left-wing student groups at Kolkata's Jadavpur University, which likewise involved mutual accusations of bringing outside agitators onto campus. (PTI)